The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-17

educational vineyard, and see If the little
vines are started to run in the right direc-
ton.
The Law-Brealzlng Party.
Mr.. EDITOR: Sir, I am citizen of An.
derson County, and am proud of the citi-
zenship. Anderson wears the laurels OF
being the banner County of the State.
She led off in red-shirtisrn in 1875, and led
the van in the change OF the Fence Law,
which has now spread all over the State
and other States are following in the great
economic enterprise, and she has led off in
other new enterprises. She has inno!ated
old fogyism, and her people are ever ready
to step up and out in untried fields of good
economy. But there have been few of
her citizens that are malcontents, always
pulling back and ready to growl at those
who are leading her on in her upward ca.
reer for good. For instance there were
those, as you well recollect. who were
afraid of the red shirts, and swore about
the Stock Law. Said they wc7ld shoot,
and play thunder generally, if the law was
was put in force. Well, they did not do it,
and they are now the best satisfied people
on that question you ever saw, because
they now see it was good thing, and saves
their own pockets. and that class are
always satisfied when thing suits their
pockets. And just so it will be with those
that are now bowling about the new Road
Law. They will see, when they cannot
help it. But suppose there were none that
could see the future benefit ofa change in
law and custom of a country, would az
change ever be made for the better? Nay,
we would be on dead standstill, and old
fogyism would hold US to the ground eter-
nally; and if a people do not progress it is
truism that they retrograde. As to the
new Road Law, I believe it will be the
means of having good roads all over the
County, if the County Commissioners will
have backbone enough to carry it out to
the letter; and I am compelled to think all
thinking men of the County will sustain
them in SO doing. I predict that if they
do they will be the most popular set of
Commissioners after they do carry out the
law, and the people have occular demon
stration ofits benefits, that have ever been
elected to that Office, and in lieu of the
cursing that is now hurled at our Repre-.
sentatiyes who enacted the law, they will
receive the praise and blessings of their
constituents. It is palpable and plain that
something had to be done to improve the
facilities of travel through the County.
The roads are intolerable. Our Grand
Jurors and the Judge on the Bench have
been trying for the ten past years TO get the
roads worked but the lameness and slack
ness of the old Road Law gave rise to
slackness, laziness, and indifference upon
the part of the woodworking hands and
road officers to such an extent that travel
has been greatly impeded. Loss and ex-
pense is the resultto the public, and espe-
cially to the farmers of our County. Our
roads have been an eye-sore for long
time, and as much as We are In advance of
other Counties in enterprise, we are woe
fully behind some of them in road-work-
ing. Our adjoining County-Pickens-;
though mountain County, is far ahead of
us in having good roads, which is admitted
by every one that travels in that County.
1t is, suppose, because at road working
time, the Pickens people are most always
in fuss, and some get fighting mad.
This opposition at slabtown is step
probably in the direction to get the roads
we'll worked in that section, which has not
been done in long time. If they will
just cut up until the road authorities get
mad, then I think they will have to work
the roads, as they never have done before
and say go it, boys, you will be apt to
catch it. I am surprised that when our
Representatives have tightened up the
Road Law so that it can be better put in
force in Anderson County, there is made
by few malcontents howl. You know
Sam Jones said it is the hit dog that
always hollers. 1t was night howl in
the section of slabtown. That is, few of
that section held night meeting, not to
pray for the good of their country, but
howl and vent their unpatriotic feelings,
and passed some atrocious resolutions pro-
claiming that they would break the laws
of the land unhesitatingly. That they would
work the roads just as they pleased, and
felt like, or as much as they thought was
necessary, in their unpatriotio judgment.
Well, if you take as the measure of their
Judgment the amount they have done to
the public roads in the past, they will do,
in manner, almost nothing. I am. in
formed that some of the roads in that sec.
ton have not had lick struck on them
the past year. But will say in vindica-
ton of some of the good citizens of Slab
town, / am informed the best citizens of
that locality had nothing to do with that
night meeting, and did not howl but
stayed at home and prayed for the good Of
their country. They had no idea of re-
Voting against the civil laws of the land.
They thought ifa body Of citizens could, by
holding night meetings, and with impuni-
ty defy the officers of law in one respect.
they could do so in any other case that
might not happen to suit their narrow
views, and such things might lead to- a
very bad state of affairs. Well, Mr.. Editor,
I am perfectly astounded at such.proceed-
ings in civilized community. I was
going to say it was too thin, but that is not
the word. It is too narroto-not 20 feet, as
road should be-but not wider than q
hog path. They did it not in daylight, but
they did it in the dark. Well, it will
amount to nothing with the road authori-
ties. They, if am not mistaken, were not
born in the nighttime to be scared by
night o,uls. There are some that object to
the hours to work each day on the roads,
ard others say that is the best part of the